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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

We hereby complete our first pass of Elihu's speeches. He is more accurate than many give him credit for. I read this paragraph from Good (In Turns of Tempest, A Reading of Job) to my wife - she laughed. But I don't agree with Good even though I enjoy his prose very much.

Elihu's theology is depressingly conventional, adding nothing except detail to what the friends have given us in quite sufficient detail. His style is more than depressingly opaque, uttering sentence after sentence in which the words make sense one by one but defy comprehension in combination. It is wordy, convoluted, often scarcely intelligible. The speeches contain some nuggets of semiprecious metal, but embedded in such thick clods of ordinary dirt as to weary the miner beyond reason. Dealing with good poetry is hard and exhilarating, Dealing with Elihu is just hard.

Indeed of this my heart quakes
and is let go from its place
Hear to hear in the trouble of his voice
and the sigh that from his mouth comes forth
Under the whole heavens, he makes it clear
and his light to the wings of the earth

After it a voice roars
it thunders in a voice of his majesty
and he will not supplant them when his voice is heard

the One thunders wonderfully in his voice
making great things we do not know
for to the snow he says
be of earth and small rain
and great rain of his might

In the hand of every human he seals
for the knowledge of all mortals of his work
and all life goes to her place of waiting
and in their habitations dwell

From the south comes storm
and from the scattering cold
by the breath of the One ice is given
and the breadth of the waters outpouring

indeed in watering he burdens a cloud
he scatters the mist of his light
and he overturns turnabouts in bindings
to the works - all that he commanded
in the face of the world of earth
if of sceptre if of his earth
if of his lovingkindness he will let it be found

give ear to this Job
stand and understand the wonders of the One
do you know God's setting of them
and the light of his mist he made shine?
do you know about the balancing of cloud
from the wonders of the perfect in knowledge?
how your garments warm
when he quiets earth from the south?
have you hammered out the sky with him
mighty as a poured mirror?

Make known to us what we will say to him
we cannot array in order in the face of darkness
will one recount to him that I will speak?
if a man speaks will he be swallowed?
and now they do not see the brilliant light
this is in the sky
but the wind passes over and purifies them

from the north gold comes
with God a fearful splendor
The Sufficient we do not find out
great of power and judgment
and much righteousness - he does not afflict
therefore mortals fear him
he does not see all the wise of heart(1)

(1) Good has a double negative - "he does not see any who are wise of heart". It might be a reminder of Psalm 14/53 but there is only one negation in the colon: לֹא-יִרְאֶה כָּל-חַכְמֵי-לֵב. Pope interprets - "he respects no clever mind" - he moves the modifier of the negative particle from the verb to the phrase. (Perhaps). Staples has "Yea - all that are wise of heart fear him". It is so convenient that one can emend one letter and reverse the meaning of a phrase. TS has "he respecteth not any who are wise of heart". (= KJV and JPS 1917 in its sense.) Go figure!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Again in this chapter are a number of words that remind me of the frame story - in addition to the use of incite noted in the prior post, there is substance, offering (one of Job's words) and from afar. All this is

... indication that Elihu knows what is going on behind the scenes. The use of סות - incite used twice here in verses 16 and 18 reflects the words of God in chapter 2 - וַתְּסִיתֵנִי בוֹ לְבַלְּעוֹ חִנָּם "though you incited me against him to swallow him for nothing". I noted earlier a command to Job to present himself (33.5).

With respect to עלה offering, I may be reading for sound only. This chapter also has many words meaning clamour, noise, or other aural effect. Elihu anticipates the gifts of creation to be noted later in the whirlwind - perhaps these are figurative and suggest a greater gift.

The core for me are these simple words: they will expire without knowledge. What knowledge is he referring to? Can one be conscious of it? Is it hidden from the damaged? There are many of those who are displaced - thrown into confusion without cause. The parents have sinned and the children's teeth are set on edge.

In my opinion, there is again much that is new in this speech - perhaps incomprehensible, but it is new.

Morph - data - into English of a sort.

And Elihu continued and he said

Encircle me a little and I will declare to youfor still of God there are speechesI will lift up my knowledge from afarand to the one whose work I am I will give justicefor in truth my speech is not a lie(1)complete knowledge is with you

lo the One is great and will not refusethe great of strength of hearthe will not maintain the life of the wickedand judgment of the needy he giveshe does not diminish from the just one his eyesand kings on the throne - he seats them(2)in perpetuity and they are high

and if those bound in fettersare captured in ropes of afflictionthen he tells to them their worksand their transgressions that they allow to be great over themand he reveals to their ear his mentoringand he says that they should turn from iniquity(3)

if they hear and servethey will consume their days in the goodand their years in pleasantnessbut if they do not hearinto death they will pass onand they will expire without knowledge(4)

but hypocrites in heart are set in wraththey do not call for he binds themtheir being dies in youthand their life among the holy(5)he rescues the needy from his afflictionand reveals oppression to their ears

and indeed he incites you from the mouth of your afflictioninstead of her, broad, no outpouring, and rest(6)your table he fills with fatnessbut the adjudication of the wicked you have filledadjudication and judgment sustainfor wrath lest he incite you with wealthand a great ransom cannot be stretched out for you

will he array in order your noise not to treasure it(7)and all the upholding of strength?do not long for the nightof the offerings of the peoples under them(8)be upright - do not look on iniquityfor against this you chose from affliction

lo the One exalts in his strengthwho teaches like him?who visits his way to him?or who is to say "you have worked iniquity"?remember that you increase his workof which mortals sing

every human discerns in hima mortal attends from afarlo the One is increase and we do not know himthe number of his years is past finding outfor he diminishes dripping waterto refine rain to humiditywhich the skies distilland trickle much on the human

indeed if one understand the spreading of a cloudthe clamour from his boothlo - he spreads on it his lightand the root of the day he coversfor in them he adjudicates the peoples(9)

he gives meat from greatnesson open palms he covers lightand he commands her in meetinga sound tells himthere is substance indeed for offering(10)

There is such variation and such confusion in this chapter - I scarcely imagine I could add notes on this first reading. Just a few things that occur to me.(1) no anointing is a lie(2) many kings one throne - not their thrones(3) such a gentle command from on high(4) let it not be so who reads these words - be known, beloved(5) בקדשים - usually rendered prostitutes - seems out of place in Elihu's speech.(6) Job has admitted his longing.(7) noise ? wealth ? treasure ? I don't think this is a straightforward moral question on wealth and the temptations thereof. I have read it as a speech to Job about Job's suffering and longing.(8) this is a reference to Job's longing for un-creation(9) Pope has nourishes - nice, but a rewrite. Why not the judgment of a shower! "that love, joy, hope, like flower, spring in his path to birth"?(10) substance (from chapter 1), we intimate here the offering of substance that is complete and acceptable.

and these were his acquisitionsseven thousand sheep and three thousand camelsand five hundred pair of oxenand five hundred she-donkeysand servants - a very great serviceand so it was the man, this very onewho was great among all the children of antiquity

and יְהוָה said to the accuserhave you set out in your heart concerning my servant Job?For there is none like him in the eartha man complete and uprightfearing God and turning away from eviland still for him he prevails in his completenessthough you incited me against him to swallow him for nothing

I have buried myself in this project and have just thought about coming up for air. Alan Lenzi and scott gray among others had interesting conversations a few months ago (here and here) .

Here's another detail issue - how poorly I must fare in my reading if the translators of note can argue. I think they don't argue over translation but over its political and religious impact. On this subject moot, I mute.

Loren Rossen III also has a go at Job in a book review where he quotes David Burrell for a 'new' reason why Job is commended: that he is "speaking to rather than about his creator." I have not read Burrell's book but at the risk of getting it right (a work of the flesh in my opinion) I think Burrell has a point. The friends never pray. Job does - just like the psalmist. God is not a theory nor is God subject to theoretical exploration without the reality of the lab. Test and see as the psalm goes. (Joke).

Searching back further I find a post on Job from Duane at Abnormal Interests from 2007. John Hobbins has several posts on Job, e.g. here - and many on his sidebar that I just discovered. As with the psalms, I won't find it much easier to interact with other readings but it will be a little easier at least to find a place in my house for the ideas that others present - now that the walls are a little better defined.

Many posts I expect ask the wrong question and therefore get odd answers if any. This post with a clear reply by Iyov himself shows the problem of relying on translations. And here's a post that wrestles with the character of God as portrayed in the poem. That's where the wrestling is.

I will continue. I am really looking forward to the denouement - but I just can't rush. Here is a little of my rough work on the first 18 verses of this next speech.

There is in this speech more indication that Elihu knows what is going on behind the scenes. The use of סות - incite used twice here in verses 16 and 18 reflects the words of God in chapter 2 - וַתְּסִיתֵנִי בוֹ לְבַלְּעוֹ חִנָּם "though you incited me against him to swallow him for nothing". I noted earlier a command to Job to present himself (33.5). This chapter confirms the greater knowledge of Elihu - he is somehow an insider. Note the invitation in verse 1 to come closer and hear speeches of God. He claims complete knowledge.

I wonder if this terse poem can be explained in any language. Tur Sinai has a remarkable reconstruction of the rest of this chapter that I have not read fully, but I can tell from all the double quotes that some explication thing is afoot. He ascribes an extended speech of mercy to a hypothetical redeemed needy one - not as if the speech is addressed to Job by Elihu. Pope has a very smooth reading but his tenses are all past and not conditional. Staples is, as expected, traditional. Good has the right tone for my taste - a certain inner humour as if Elihu is toying with Job. But isn't that just the problem with the frame tale itself - God's character as judge? Remember this is a poem and a story - it is what is learned from it not the fact of it's 'horror' that is important. We struggle with this Job till all humanity turns (34:36). In that sense the poem is recapitulated for every person. But once we turn - talk to rather than about - the table is filled with fatness. (Warning: this is not a prosperity gospel - it's a comedy.)

And Elihu continued and he said

1

וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַר

Encircle me a little and I will declare to youfor there are still speeches of God

2

ב כַּתַּר-לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּכִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּים

I will lift up my knowledge from afarand to the one whose work I am I will give righteousness

3

ג אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹקוּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶתֵּן-צֶדֶק

for in truth my speech is not a liecomplete knowledge is with you

4

ד כִּי-אָמְנָם לֹא-שֶׁקֶר מִלָּיתְּמִים דֵּעוֹת עִמָּךְ

lo God is great and will not refusegreat of strength of heart

5

ה הֶן-אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָסכַּבִּיר כֹּחַ לֵב

he will not maintain the life of the wickedand judgment of the needy he gives

6

ו לֹא-יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁעוּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן

he does not diminish from the righteous his eyesand kings on the throne - he establishes themin perpetuity and they are high

O my beard and whiskers - I turn to turn at every turn. Turn away, return, turn, overturn. What will I do for a word that means - friends turn away, stomach is turned, and mountains overturned - but that doesn't have 'turn' in it? (I already have a few synonyms here so 9:5 'don't know what hit them' and 12:15 'ravage' don't show in this list - because I said I would ignore concordance on this word.) 29.24 raises another problem - trust, faith, etc. (But here I have followed an emendation.) There is a third set of words giving me pause - man, human, warrior, male etc. I may leave the combing till the end - but just to note how much refinement is required - or not.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

In the earlier posts, I sometimes suggested a companion psalm for a chapter. In Elihu's speeches and arguments, I find proleptic echos of the gospels of the New Testament. Odd, isn't it? And Elihu's 'bombast' can be seen as insistence and invitation to hear - as in Proverbs 8 when wisdom speaks.

You may be skeptical - you should be. I am an infant even compared to the brassy Elihu. And my English seems to be getting more and more stilted. But - his arguments (so far) are new and were not put forward by the three friends nor even hinted at by Job - though in some of his more tender moments, he prepares the ground. For example, with respect to the beasts and birds, they say "learn from them", and Elihu says that "God teaches through them". There may be a comparative in this verse, but in this case it does not matter as much as the change in the source of the learning.

Here too you will find direct instruction to writhe as if in birth. Of course one could chose a gloss that would smooth over the puzzle. Also here (the last verses) as in 33:14 and 34:24 there is a suggestion that God voluntarily limits omniscience so that the created order may stand in his presence. Here the poet anticipates (or knows and uses) Psalm 32 - much as Paul does in Romans.

Hear again the old and the new in this speech. Note the possible second allusion to Abraham in verse 2. (The first is in the prior chapter as noted here.)

And Elihu answered and said

do you count this of judgment?do you speak of my justice more than that of the One?(1)for you said "what profit is to youwhat benefit from my sin?"(2)I will return you a speech(3)and your friends with you

attend to the heavens and seeand sight the skies - they are higher than youif you sin what do you do in himand multiply transgression what do you make of himif you are just what do you give to himor what from your hand does he take?of a man like you your wickedness?and of a child of a human your righteousness?

from much oppressions they call for help(4)they cry from the arm of the manyand he does not saywhere is God my makerwho gives psalms in the nightwho teaches from the beasts of earthand from birds of the heavens makes us wise?

there they call and no one answersin the face of the pride of evildoerssurely emptiness the One will not hearnor the Sufficient look at herindeed for you say you will not look(5)

adjudication is before his face so writhe of him(6)but now - for there is no visitation in his angerand he does not know in great confusion(7)

so Job vainly parts his mouthin a lack of knowledge he spouts speeches(8)

(1) אָמַרְתָּ צִדְקִי מֵאֵל - Must I think now use a comparative. I can't stick with my first reading. Perhaps though Elihu does have credit for a new argument - a righteousness hidden in the struggle of faithfulness - and Job will achieve it in this parable. (This is not a 'historical' story - but a constructed poem and tale - including the speeches to come - there is no 'red-letter' edition. Job is an epic on the theology of creation as the human sees it and such as is recapitulated in the life of each person.)(2) TS corrects to 'my appeasing (you)'.(3) Good has "I will refute your words" but the others "I will answer you" etc. Most leave out the awkward repetition of מִלִּין in their English.(4) Staples considers this a serious discontinuity. TS (and Pope cites him) thinks that Elihu is quoting Job's point of view. I don't see the need for this. Elihu brands Job as an unwitting oppressor. Hence God's silence (so far).(5) Job cannot blame God for silence when he also refuses to look.(6) writhe (7 times) can refer to birth - or to the dance at the time of birth. Good emends to "the case is before you and you're dancing around it." Pope - "the case is before him - wait for him." Wait is common but Good says "Efforts to make the word mean 'wait' are not morphologically persuasive". The KJV's 'trust' is even more off the page. While it may be good advice, it is not translation. That's not what the text has in its letters of fire.(7) Pope - "he does not mark transgression well" (nice job with a strange verse - also implying a certain lack of interest of God in some 'sins' as other speakers in the poem have implied with their rhetorical questions). TS has "his wrath.. is not extinguished, it waxeth strongly." This requires a few emendations.For TS the subject of the "that there is not" (orange below) is missing and "in the main sentence 'his wrath' (green) can be understood either as the subject of visit (blue) or as the object with the subject of the verb to be conjectured".וְעַתָּה כִּי-אַיִן פָּקַדאַפּוֹוְלֹא-יָדַע בַּפַּשׁ מְאֹדThe word in red is a hapax usually amended to בפשע "in transgression".(8) 'parts' and 'spouts' are both found only once in Job - hence I do not use 'opens' and 'multiplies'. Elihu is laughing - hence my somewhat derisive choice of words. Elihu is laughing because he knows there is no answer to his arguments and that he is introducing the crowning touch of the poem - the speeches of יְהוָה.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I debated whether Elihu is the young versus the old. Perhaps youth needed its say. But in this chapter, he forms a thought experiment as fine as any from Einstein or Schrodinger. The commentators are a little unfair to him. For me, he advances the argument and puts uncertainty at the centre of Job's choice and gives him his trial in perpetuity. Elihu is anointed as I suspected.

The full scope of redemption is intimated. Do not be rash - perhaps I have missed every idiom. I do not offer any notes here. I have rendered what I have seen even as אָבִי is 'my father'. (Update: everyone reads around this word in v36 and changes it or renders it as an interjection.) Read slowly for the text is awkward and has strange turns. If I have erred, be pleased to tell me. I have only the joy of learning for my defense. And my only thesis is that I might not prejudge till I have read the text as well as I can at the moment.

And Elihu answered and saidhear you who are wise my speechand you who have knowledge give ear to mefor an ear scrutinize speechesand a palate its food tastes

Judgment let us choose for ourselveslet us know among ourselves what is goodfor Job said "I am justand the One has turned away my judgmentagainst my judgment should I liemortal is my arrow and without sin"

who is a warrior like Jobdrinking derision like waterwho takes a path cobbled together with workers of iniquityand walks with mortals of wickednessfor he said there is no profit for a mortalthat he find acceptance with God

therefore mortals with heart hear mea curse on the One from wickednessand on the Sufficient from iniquityfor the work of a human will be repayed to himand as a path of a man so let him find

indeed truly the One does not do wickednessnor the Sufficient subvert judgmentwho visits him of earthand who sets out the whole world?

if he sets on him his hearthis spirit and his breath to him he gathersall flesh will expire as oneand a human to dust will return

and if understanding, hear thisgive ear to the voice of my speechshall indeed one who hates judgment bindand one of great justice condemn?shall he say of the king - without profitwicked - to nobles?

who does not lift up the faces of chiefsnor recognize the saved over the faces of the deprivedfor the works of his hands are all of themin a moment they dieand in the middle of the night people quake and pass onand the mighty are turned away without a hand

for his eyes are on the way of a manand all his steps he seesthere is no darkness and there is no obscuritywhere the workers of iniquity are concealedfor not on a man will he further setthan to walk to the One in the judgment

he will do evil to those with much without a searchand he will stand others instead of thembecause he recognizes their serviceand he overturns night and they are crushedunder the wicked he slaps themin the place of those who seebecause they turned aside from following himand all his ways they considered without insight

so the cry of the deprived comes to himand the cry of the needy he hearsfor he quiets and who makes wickednessand he conceals faces and who sights himas one whether to nations or to a humanfrom the rule of a human of hypocrisyfrom the ensnaring of a people

for to the One be it saidI have lifted upI will not bindnot in perpetuity had I discernedyou instruct meif injustice I have worked I will not continue

How is it with you? Shall he repay her? For you refused?for you will choose and not I myself.So what do you know? Speak.

mortal of heart will say to meand a man of wisdom hears me

Job without knowledge speaksand his words are not with insight

my father he will be scrutinized in perpetuityto the turnings in mortals of iniquityfor he continues to add to his sin transgressionamong us he claps and he multiplies his words to the One

therefore mortals with heart hear me-------- on God from wickednessand the Sufficient from iniquity

Far be it from me to be polite? Tur Sinai has 'Shame on me' in 27:5, and suggests 'shame [would it be to] God' in 34:10. This at least is consistent. The phrase is often rendered 'God forbid'. It is unusual for the object of the word to be the deity. See Genesis 18:25 where Abraham uses it in his argument against the destruction of the cities. (Staples, The Speeches of Elihu, U of T 1925, omits the middle stich of 34:10 as a gloss).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

This chapter has a variety of approaches from my sources. None of them is quite where I think it might go. The drawing of connections with the earlier speeches will be complex - and I won't be very specific. Most authors find Elihu heavy handed - Good calls him insufferably arrogant and other names. He claims that Elihu quotes Job with a 'tissue of skewed allusions'. What a curious thing then that the author / redactor has put in front of us? A serious poem about unfairness with a buffoon as a prelude to the speeches of יְהוָה. I hope not to have to bear that reading. But we must press on.

the spirit of God has made meand the breath of the Sufficient has given me lifeif you have power to turn meorder before my face - present yourself(1)

Lo - I myself as your mouth to the One(2)from clay I am pinched - even I myselfbehold my horror will not terrify youand my open palm upon you will not be too heavy

Indeed you were saying in my earsand the voice of speeches I hear"clean I myself am without transgressionfaultless am I my very selfand there is no iniquity to melo alienations against me he findsand he counts me as his enemyhe puts my feet in the stockshe watches all my paths"

lo this - you are not just - I answer youfor greater is God than a mortalfor what purpose against him do you contendfor all his speakings he does not answerfor in one the One speaksand in two he does not look at her(3)

in a dream, a night visionwhen a trance falls on mortalswhile slumbering on a couchthen he reveals to mortal earand their mentoring he sealsto turn away the human from its workand esteem from the warrior concealhe spares his being from the pitand his life from being passed through into death(4)

and he is reproved in being marred on his couchand the contention of his bones is perennialso his life abhors breadand his being a desire to eatconsumed is his flesh from sightprotruding are his bones that were not seenhis being approaches the pitand his life to those who have died(5)

if there is for him a messengerinterpreting, one among a thousandto tell a human his uprightnessand he makes supplication for him sayingransom him from his descent to the pitI have found a price

his flesh will be fresher than a lad'she will return to the days of his youthhe will make supplication to God and he will accept himand he will see his face with a shout of joyfor he will return to a mortal his righteousness

he looks on mortals and he will sayI have sinned and the upright I twistedand it was not made like to me(6)he ransomed my being from passing over to the pitand my life in the light will see

Lo all these things the One workstime and time again(7) with a warriorto return his being from the pitto be enlightened in the light of the living

attend Job hear mekeep silence and I myself will speakif you have a speech, turn it to mespeak for I desire to justify youif there is no you, listen to mekeep silence and I will teach you wisdom

(1) I realize that turn should be read as answer and my English is awkward. Of course with answer, I lose the aural connection with other uses of turn and return, and I gain aural connection with the narrator's term. Smoothing the English can wait a second reading. Note in this verse the first usage of a word that is only in the frame story - present yourself. I find this striking and suggestive. As I noted in chapter 1, who are the children of God - even who accuse - but us? Here Elihu - He is my God - presents himself as if he were in the place of God - exactly as a mediator would.(2) I read this verbless sentence as Elihu putting himself forth as Job had wished - as referee. This is following the KJV interpretation.(3) Most translations read this as meaning 'though no one may see it'. Should the feminine pronoun be ignored? Should the human be understood as the subject? Is there some implied discontinuity between God's speaking and God's self-observation? It is an odd stich. Elihu here almost agrees with Job's complaint.(4) TS has a good explanation of this odd word בשלח derived from to send essentially a synonym for Sheol - but unique here and in 36:12. Good uses 'cross the channel' in both cases. I cannot bring myself to make the reading too easy in English - it certainly is not in Hebrew.(5) or to those who put to death = the destroyers. I have no idea what this refers to. Good says he would translate it as I have if he were given to emendation. (But as far as I can see, one only has to change a vowel or two - that's hardly emendation.)(6) it was not requited to me - I did not get what I deserved. This I can attest to.(7) two times and three - but time and time again was a favorite expression of my mother's - so let her be mentioned in this late period of my life.